Court Use and Etiquette

General Information 

Hours of Operation:

The courts will be open daily from dawn to 10 pm, subject to weather and maintenance requirements. Court lights are available for night play. The residents are responsible for turning off the lights after each use.

Court Reservation - Sign up on the Chalk-Board:

Use of the courts is on a first-come, first-serve basis.  When all courts are in use, a two-some or four-some must sign in on the waitlist side of the board with a name and arrival time. You can sign up on the wait list no more than 30 minutes before your scheduled start time. Playing priority is based on the earliest arrival sign-in time. Play is limited to 1.5 hours unless no one else is waiting.  If a court needs cleaning before play, sign up for that court and put "Cleaning" after your name and present clock time.  After you clean that court, erase "Cleaning" and the old clock time from the board, put down the new clock time, and start your play on that court.

Apparel: 

Appropriate tennis apparel is required, and players must always wear upper-body garments. Rubber-soled tennis shoes are mandatory. Hard-soled street shoes, sandals, roller blades, or footwear that marks the courts are not allowed.

Use of Courts:  

All residents must carry their Association Membership cards while using the courts. Guests must be accompanied by either a resident or an adult with a valid Guest Pass Card.  Lessons or events may occasionally be scheduled during regular operating hours.

Play at Your Own Risk:

Play is permitted both during the day and at night, provided adequate lighting exists. If there is debris or water on the court, you can use the squeegees and brooms available on the courts, or you can inform the Fitness Center front desk. Please do not play until the debris or water has been cleared away.

Ball Machine:  

For instructions on checking out the ball machine, refer to the Tennis Ball Machine Check-Out Guidelines.

Accident Reporting:

Please report any injuries to the Fitness Desk at Orchard Creek by calling (916)625-4030.

Policies for Court Usage

Prime-Time Hours:   7 am to 11:00 am

Sports Pavilion Etiquette: 

If a group uses the Pavilion for a scheduled event, please wait for your court at a location away from the Pavilion that will not disturb the event in progress. Access to the restrooms is open to all.

Court Etiquette: 

Please don't go to the court entrance more than 5 minutes before your start time.  Please keep noise respectful while waiting, entering, and leaving the courts so that other players are not disturbed.  Always take an empty court rather than bumping someone whose time has run out. Take the first available court, even if it is a court you don't prefer to play on.

One-person practice and all use of ball machines or backboard practice sessions will be in non-prime hours (after 11 am.)  Do not leave your court before your time runs out to sign up again for another court; you must wait until you are bumped.  Please erase your name from the signup board if you leave the court without being bumped.  And please, if you play after dark and no one takes your courts, turn out the lights.  And always, always close the court gate door.

Note:   The complete list of Rules and Regulations for the Sports Pavilion can be found on the association's website, WWW.SCLHRESIDENTS.COM. Sign-in is required.